Suzlon executes wind energy project for ONGC

Ahmedabad, Sep 8 (IANS) Suzlon Energy Ltd, the fifth largest wind turbine maker globally, Monday announced it has successfully completed a 51 MW wind power project for Oil and Natural Gas Corp of India (ONGC).In a communication to the Bombay Stock Exchange, the company said the project is located at Motisindholi in the Kutch district of Gujarat.

With this, ONGC, which produces 84 percent of the country’s crude oil and natural gas, becomes the first public sector company to enter the wind energy sector.

In the statement, Suzlon said it has supplied 34 units of wind turbines each with a capacity of 1.5 MW, the world’s highest turbine capacity to ONGC’s pilot wind power project, executed on an investment of Rs.3.08 billion.

The project was inaugurated Sep 6.

Suzlon did not disclose the total cost of the turbines supplied.

Besides the supply of turbines, Suzlon will also carry out operations and maintenance for 10 years.

“As India’s main energy solutions provider, this is our first pilot project to make the country self sufficient through alternate sources of energy,” said ONGC chairman and managing director R.S. Sharma at the inauguration.

“Its success has encouraged us to venture into this field in a bigger way,” he added

The power generated would be wheeled through the Gujarat state grid and consumed at ONGC centres at Ankaleshwar, Ahmedabad, Mehsana and Vadodara.

The Kutch project is ONGC’s first project by way of diversification into wind energy.

According to company sources, the oil major is expected to set up similar projects in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

By 2009, ONGC plans to add another 100 MW for which it is exploring options in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Suzlon has also been trying to sell wind energy to India’s corporate sector as a low-cost alternative.